Hand held label attaching iron

ABSTRACT

A hand-held device for applying a label having a thermoplastic backing material onto a garment includes an element for releasably grasping and holding the label while the label is being transferred to the garment for attachment. The device also includes a heating surface that is brought into contact with the label to heat the thermoplastic material and thereby attach the label to the garment, after which the grasping element is released from the label. Several elements are disclosed for releasably grasping and holding the label, including prongs, a magnet, and an electrostatic field producing element. For use with the applicator device utilizing a magnet, a label is disclosed containing magnetic material for attraction to the device.

United States Patent 1 Sontag et al.

[ Feb. 19, 1974 HAND HELD LABEL ATTACHING IRON [75] Inventors: Rollin H. Sontag, Kings Point, N.Y.;

Karl H. Keim, Granville Summit,

[21] Appl. No.: 298,597

Related US. Application Data [63] Continuation-impart of Ser. No. 236,366, March 20,

1972, abandoned.

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,192,264 3/1940 Kallander 294/64 X 2,599,047 6/1952 Clark 335/285 2,797,370 6/1957 Bennett 335/303 6/1964 Silverschotz 214/100 3,159,418 12/1964 Hansen 294/64 3,195,022 7/1965 Staver..... 335/285 3,226,888 l/l966 Erenyi 51/362 3,407,507 10/1968 Brubaker.... 335/303 X 3,417,675 12/1968 Ausnit 93/35 Primary Examiner-Alfred L. Leavitt Assistant ExaminerRobert A. Dawson Attorney, Agent, or FirmNichol M. Sandoe [5 7 ABSTRACT A hand-held device for applying a label having a thermoplastic backing material onto a garment includes an element for releasably grasping and holding the label while the label is being transferred to the garment for attachment. The device also includes a heating surface that is brought into contact with the label to heat the thermoplastic material and thereby attach the label to the garment, after which the grasping element is released from the label. Several elements are disclosed for releasably grasping and holding the label, including prongs, a magnet, and an electrostatic field producing element. For use with the applicator device utilizing a magnet, a label is disclosed containing magnetic material for attraction to the device.

8 Claims, 15 Drawing Figures PATEN-TEDFEB I 9 m SHEET 1 (IF 4 1 HAND HELD LABEL ATTACIIING IRON This application is a continuation-in-part of application Ser. No. 236,366 filed on Mar. 20, 1972 and now abandoned.

The present invention relates generally to label applicators, and more particularly to a handheld device for applying a label having a thermoplastic material on one of its surfaces onto a garment.

Both manufacturers and retailers of garments commonly apply their labels to the garment, usually at a location at which the label is not visible when the garment is worn. Garment labels commonly carry indicia identifying either the manufacturer and/or the retailer of the garment, and on many occasions the label also includes information concerning the material from which the garment is made, as well as information that may be used by the consumer in the cleaning of the garment.

At present, the great majority of labels are either hand or machine sewn onto the garment. This method of label attachment is, however, relatively slow and inefficient and requires the use of at least semi-skilled and thus relatively high paid personnel.

Recently, labels have been developed which contain a thermally sticking or thermoplastic material which, when heated,'causes the label to securely adhere to the garment. These thermoplastic labels are most often applied to a garment by the use of a conventional hand iron which is pulled over the label after the label is placed over the appropriate location on the garment to thereby heat the thermal adhesive material. This.

method is somewhat more efficient and economical as compared to the sewing of labels, but is still relatively slow since it requires the operator to pick up and place the label on the garment before pressing the iron over the label. a I

'In large-scale label-application operations, primarily in certain garment manufacturing facilities, automatic label feeding and applicating mechanisms are utilized to speed up and effectively automate the label application operation. The considerable expense of such machinery, however, effectively permits the use thereof by only larger manufacturing concerns and precludes the use of such machines by most garment retailers as well as the great majority of smaller garment manufacturers.

It is accordingly an object of the invention to provide a label application device which pennits the application of a label onto a garmentwith greater ease and efficiency than has heretofore been available.

It is a further object of the invention to provide a label attachment device of the type described which can be readily operated by a relatively unskilled employee.

It is another object of the invention to provide a label attachment device of the type described which can be used to particular advantage in attaching labels having a thermoplastic adhesive backing onto a garment.

It is still a further object of the invention to provide a device of the type described which permits smallscale manufacturing and garment retailers to readily and economically apply identifying labels to their'garments. I

The label-applicator device of the invention includes means for grasping and holding the label to be attached to permit the label to be readily transferred to the garment to which the label is to be attached, and a heating surface. Once the label is grasped and brought into contact with the garment by the applicator, the heating surface is moved into heating contact with the label. The heating of the label produced by the contact of the heating surface causes the label to adhere to the garment. Once label attachment has been thus achieved, the heating surface and the holding element are moved away from the label which remains affixed to the garment.

' In one embodiment of the invention, the label is grasped and held by a pair of prong-like elements that extend from the applicator. The heating surface is movable with respect to the grasping element to bring the surface into contact with the label when the label is positioned on the garment. Other types of grasping elements shown include a magnet which attracts and holds the label because of magnetic material in the labels, or an electrostatic field producing means in the applicator which attracts the label.

For use with the applicator that utilizes a magnet as the label holding element, the present invention is also directed to a novel fabric label which has ferromagnetic material included therein, such as in one embodiment in which a metallic strip is sandwiched between the indicia-carrying face of the label and the thermoplastic surface which is attached to the garment by the applicator.

To the accomplishment of the above and to such further objects as may hereinafter appear, the present invention relates to a hand-held label attaching iron substantially as defined in the appended claims and as described in the following specification, taken together with the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of one embodiment of the label applicator device of the invention as employed in applying a label to a garment;

FIG. 2 is an end elevation of the device of the invention shown in the condition in which the label is initially grasped by the label applicator of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a view similar to FIG. 2 showing the heating surface of the applicator brought into contact with the label;

FIG. 4 is a fragmented elevation, on an enlarged scale as compared to FIG. 1, of the lower end of the applicator, illustrating in detail the manner in which the label is pierced by the prong;

F IG. 5 is a cross-section of the device taken along the line 55 of FIG. 1 withthe device in the label-grasping position shown in FIG. 2;

FIG. 6 is a cross-section, similar to FIG. 5, with the device in the position of FIG. 3',

FIG. 7 is a cross-section taken across the line 77 of FIG. 2 showing the arrangement of the heating elements;

FIG. 8 is a front elevation of a label applicator according to a second embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 10 is a FIG.9;

FIG. 11 is a cross-section taken across line 11-11 of FIG. 8; i

FIG. 12 is a vertical cross-section of a label containing ferromagnetic material for use with the embodiment of FIGS. 8-'-1l;

FIG. 9 is a side elevation of the embodiment of FIG.

FIG. 13 is a vertical cross-section of a third embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 14 is a cross-section taken across line 14-14 of FIG. 13; and

FIG. 15 is a cross-section taken across line 15-15 of FIG. 13.

The label applicator device of the invention is particularly well adapted in applying by hand a label having a thermoplastic material on one of its surfaces onto a garment. As shown in FIG. 1, the device of the invention generally designated 10, which is shown employed in the attachment of a label 12 onto a garment 14, includes a handle or knob 16 which is grasped by the hand of the individual performing the label application.

Handle 16 is secured to the upper end of a body 18 which has a screen 20 secured at its lower end by means such as screws 22. In the embodiment of the invention herein shown, the lower surface of body 18 is heated by means of a heating element (shown in greater detail in FIGS. 5-7) which receives electrical energy from an electrical line 24. The label applicating device further includes a pair of prongs. 26 and 28, which extend from the lower surface of body 18 and are capable of piercing through the label and to thereby grasp and carry the label. A label thus grasped by the prongs can be readily transferred along with the device to the portion of the garment at which the label is to be applied.

As described more completely below, body 18 and its lower heating surface are movable vertically with respect to the grasping prongs 26 and 28 to thereby cause the heating surface of body .18 to come into contact with the upper surface of the label (FIG. 3). The thermoplastic material on the thus heated label adheres to the garment causing the label to become securely attached to the garment as desired. The lower heating surface of body 18 is thereafter moved upward and away from the attached label, after which prongs 26 and 28 are removed from the label. The still fluid thermoplastic material of the label fills the holes previously formed in the label by the prongs.

FIGS. 5 and 6 illustrate in greater detail the mannerin which the heating surface of body 18 is moved vertically downward with respect to the prongs into contact with the upper surface of the label. As shown, the upper end of body 18 is secured to the lower end of a guide rod 30, the upper end of which is received within a bore 32 formed in handle 16. Prongs 26 and 28 are secured to a transverse plate 34 by means of screws 36 which are threadably received with an axial opening formed in the prongs. Plate 34 has a central opening 38 through which rod passes.

A compression spring 40 is placed aroundguide rod 30. As shown in FIG. 6, the upper end of spring 40 is received within bore 32 and contacts the interior wall of the handle defining theupepr end of the bore. The lower end of spring 40 contacts plate34 at the portion thereof immediately adjacent and surrounding opening 38.

Body 18 includes a lower section 42 to which heat is applied in a manner described more completely below I with respect to FIG. 7, an upper section 44 which normally rests, as shown in FIG. 5, against the underside of transverse plate 34, and an intermediate section 46 that extends between the upper and lower sections. Coaxial openings 48 and 50are respectively provided in upper and lower section 42 and 44 to permit prongs 26 and 28 to pass therethrough.

As shown in FIG. 7, heating elements 52 and 54 are placed in internal recesses or cavities formed in body 18 and are supplied with electrical current. A thermostat and heating sensor 56 is placed in a recess 58 also formed in body 18 to control the current supplied to the heating elements to maintain the temperature of the lower heating surface of body 18 at a specified temperature in a known manner.

As can be seen best in FIG. 5, prongs 26 and 28 each include a metallic sleeve 60 which receivesscrew 36 at its upper end. Inserted into the interior of sleeve 60 from the lower end thereof is a needle 62 which has a threaded member 64 secured to its upper end. Member 64 is threadably engaged to a correspondingly threaded inner surface of sleeve 60 to maintain the upper end of the needle in a desired vertical position within the sleeve. An insert or plug 68 made of a heat insulating material such as Teflon is inserted into and retained in the lower end of sleeve 60 and has a central longitudinal opening to allow a sharpened lower end 70 of needle 62 to pass therethrough.

In the operation of the device of the invention, the label is picked up by the prongs 26, 28 as described above, and as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the handle is moved downwardly by the operator. The downward movement of the handle is transferred by rod '30 to body 18 to cause the body to move downward until its lower heated surface comes into contact with the label (FIGS. 3 and 5). This downward movement of handle 7 16 also causes spring 40 to compress in the space between the upper wall of bore 32 and plate 34, which space is reduced during the downward movement of the handle. Thereafter, when the label is secured to the garment by the application of the heat from the heating surface, the force on the handle is removed. The downward force on spring 40 is thus released such that the compressed spring now urges handle 16 and body 18 upward back to the normal position of the device shown in FIGS. 2 and 5, in which the heating surface is again removed from the label surface. Thereafter, the

entire device is raised away from the label and the prongs are freed therefrom. The holes in the label that were previously formed by the prongs are filled by the still fluid label thermoplastic material.

Insulating plug 68 insulates the tip of needle 70 from the heating surface of body 18 when the latter is in the label contacting position shown in FIGS. 3 and 6, so

that when theneedle tip pierces through the label, the portion of the label immediately surrounding the pierced hole fonned by the needle tip is not subjected to an appreciable amount of heat. As a result, the needle can be easily removed from the label once the label is securely attached to the garment.

An alternate embodiment of the invention, as illustrated in FIGS. 8-11 is similar to the previously described embodiment in that it includes means for releasably grasping and carrying the label to the garment, and thereafter applying heat to the label to attach it to the gannent. However, instead of the prongs of the earlier embodiment, this embodiment employs a magnet and a specially designed label to achieve this operation. For example, as shown in FIG. 12, the magnetically attracted label includes, as is conventional, a fabric layer 47 on which suitable indicia may be printed, and a ther-1 ric layer. A metallic strip of foil 51 may be, as herein shown, sandwiched between the fabric and thermoplastic layers and extends centrally along the entire width of the label. In the fabrication of the label, a continuous metal strip may be formed along the entire label material prior to the cutting of the material into individual labels. Alternatively, a metallic thread may be interwoven with the fabric layer, or a magnetic material may be added in bit form to the thermoplastic material of layer 49 to add a magnetic property to the label.

The label applicator of FIGS. 8-11 comprises a body 18a including a lower heating section of block 42a, which is heated by means of electrical heaters 52 and 54 (FIG. 11) disposed within cavities formed in the heating section. A cavity 74 is internally formed within body 18 and defines a reduced thickness bottom wall 76 to which a permanent magnet 78 is mounted and attached. The upper portion of recess 74 defines a ledge 79 (FIG. 11) on which a thermostat 80 is located above magnet 78 to monitor and control the temperature of the heating surface 76 by controlling the operation of heaters 52 and 54 in a known manner. A heat shield 82 is attached by heat insulating elements 84 between the heating section 42a and the handle 86 of the applicator, and includes a section 88 for accommodating a power cord 90 which supplies electrical energy to the heaters.

An access plate 92 is rem ovably fastened to the heating section 42a to permit access to the heaters whenever necessary.

Inthe Operation of the embodiment of FIGS. 8-11, the applicator is placed over the label which is attracted to the heated undersurface of the applicator by the magnetic force created by the permanent magnet on the metal foil in the label. The operator then carries the applicator and the label held thereby by the magnet, and places the label onto the desired location on the garment. The operator then presses down on the label to heat the thermoplastic label material which causes the label to become securely attached to the garment. The operator then pulls the applicator away from the affixed label by overcoming the relatively small magnetic retaining force.

In a third embodiment of the invention shown in FIGS. 13-15 (in which only the lower heating section is shown), the label is picked up and held to the applicator by an electrostatic field produced by a fieldproducing element in the applicator. The body 18b of this applicator includes a lower heating section or block 42b which is heated by heaters 52 and 54 (FIG. 14) inserted in recesses formed in the heating section as before.

In this embodiment, the heating section includes means for creating a label-attracting electrostatic field, which is herein shown in the form of an alternating pattern of insulated but interfitting strips of metal foil 94 and 96 (FIG. which are respectively alternately negatively and positively charged, and' which, as shown in FIG. 13, are sandwiched between insulating sheets 98 and 100, preferably made of Teflon. Insulating sheet 98 is bonded to the lower heating surface of the applicator body.

Electrical conductors 102 and 104 are respectively connected to conducting strips 94 and 96 and pass through insulating sleeves 106 and 108 to an external power supply 1 10 which also supplies power to heaters 52 and 54. As in the previously described embodiment, a thermostat 112 is mounted above the lower heating section of the applicator to monitor and control the heating surface temperature.

The electrostatic field created by strips 94 and 96 attracts the thermoplastic label to the lower heating surface of the applicator, thereby enabling the label to be easily carried to the garment to which it is then permanently affixed by the heat applied thereto by the applicator. Once the label is thus affixed to the garment, the applicator can be removed from the label by pulling the applicator away from the label to overcome the relatively slight electrostatic retaining force.

It will thus be appreciated that the heat sealing iron of the invention satisfies all of the subjects set forth above in that it permits the attachment of a thermoplastic label to a garment in a relatively simple, rapid, and economical manner by a relatively unskilled operator.

While only several embodiments of the invention have been herein specifically described, it will be apparent that modification and variations, such as employing an electromagnet in place of the permanent magnet in the second described embodiment, may be made therein, all without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

We claim:

1. In combination, a garment label and a hand-held applicator device for holding and applying said label to a garment, said label having a fabric layer including garment-identifying indicia on one surface thereof, a thermoplastic layer secured to the other undersurface of said fabric layer, and magnetic material carried by one of said fabric and thermoplastic layers said applicator device comprising a handle portion, a heating portion operatively connected to said handle portion,-and magnet means carried by said heating portion-for magnetically attracting said magnetic material in said label, thereby to secure said label to said heating portion and to permit said label to be retained and transferred while thus releasably secured by said applicator device to a desired location on the garment, said heating portion comprising means for heating said thermoplastic layer of said label, thereby to cause said label to securely adhere to the garment with a retaining force exceeding the magnetic attracting force between said magentic material in said applicator device and said magnet means in said label.

2. The device of claim 1, in which said heating means comprises a lower heating surface, said heating portion including an internal recess having a lower portion terminating adjacent said heating surface, said magnet means being accommodated within said recess.

3. The device of claim 2, in which the upper portion of said internal recess defines a ledge spaced from said magnet means, and further comprising means carried on said ledge and in thermal contact with said heating portion for sensing the temperature of said heating surface. v1

4. A process for attaching a label having a fabric layer including garment-identifying indicia thereon, a thermoplastic layer secured to said fabric layer, and

magnetic material carried by one of said thermoplastic and fabric layers to a garment by the use of a hand-held label applicator having a heating surface and a magnet arranged therein, said process comprising the steps of releasably grasping the upper surface of a label with said applicator by magnetically attracting said magnetic material in said label to said magnet in said applicator, employing said applicator to carry the label secured to the heating surface of said applicator by means of the magnetic attracting force between said applicator and said label to the garment placing said label while it is still being grasped by and releasably secured to said applicator onto a desired location on the garment, providing heat to said thermoplastic layer on said label from said heating surface, thereby to produce an adhering force between said label and the garment that exceeds the label-attracting magnetic force between the said applicator and said label, and thereafter removing said heating surface of said applicator away from the upper surface of said label, whereby said label remains adhered to the garment.

5. A label for attachment to a garment comprising a first fabric layer having garment-identifying indicia thereon, a second thermoplastic layer secured to the 8. The label of claim 5, in which said magnetic means comprises magnetic material intermixed with the thermoplastic material of said second layer.

Patent No. .7 11 Dated February 19, 1974 lnventoflis) Rollin H. Sontag and Karl H. Keim It is certified that error appears in the aboveidentified patent and that said Letters Patent are hereby corrected as shown below:

IN THE CAPTION:

In the information concerning the Assignee:

"John S. Sontag" should be -Joan-S. Sontag-.

Signed and sealed this 17th day of September 1974.

(SEAL) Attest:

McCOY M. GIBSON JR. C. MARSHALL DANN {lttesting Officer Commissioner of Patents UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION Patent No. 3, 112 Dated February 19, 1974 It is certified that error appears in the aboveidentified patent and that said Letters Patent are hereby corrected as shown below:

IN THE CAPTION:

In the information concerning the Assignee:

"John S. Sontag" should be -Joan-S. Sontag--.

Signed and sealed this 17th day of September 1974.

(SEAL) Attest:

McCOY M. GIBSON JR. C. MARSHALL DANN Attesting Officer Commissioner of Patents 

1. In combination, a garment label and a hand-held applicator device for holding and applying said label to a garment, said label having a fabric layer including garment-identifying indicia on one surface thereof, a thermoplastic layer secured to the other undersurfAce of said fabric layer, and magnetic material carried by one of said fabric and thermoplastic layers said applicator device comprising a handle portion, a heating portion operatively connected to said handle portion, and magnet means carried by said heating portion for magnetically attracting said magnetic material in said label, thereby to secure said label to said heating portion and to permit said label to be retained and transferred while thus releasably secured by said applicator device to a desired location on the garment, said heating portion comprising means for heating said thermoplastic layer of said label, thereby to cause said label to securely adhere to the garment with a retaining force exceeding the magnetic attracting force between said magentic material in said applicator device and said magnet means in said label.
 2. The device of claim 1, in which said heating means comprises a lower heating surface, said heating portion including an internal recess having a lower portion terminating adjacent said heating surface, said magnet means being accommodated within said recess.
 3. The device of claim 2, in which the upper portion of said internal recess defines a ledge spaced from said magnet means, and further comprising means carried on said ledge and in thermal contact with said heating portion for sensing the temperature of said heating surface.
 4. A process for attaching a label having a fabric layer including garment-identifying indicia thereon, a thermoplastic layer secured to said fabric layer, and magnetic material carried by one of said thermoplastic and fabric layers to a garment by the use of a hand-held label applicator having a heating surface and a magnet arranged therein, said process comprising the steps of releasably grasping the upper surface of a label with said applicator by magnetically attracting said magnetic material in said label to said magnet in said applicator, employing said applicator to carry the label secured to the heating surface of said applicator by means of the magnetic attracting force between said applicator and said label to the garment placing said label while it is still being grasped by and releasably secured to said applicator onto a desired location on the garment, providing heat to said thermoplastic layer on said label from said heating surface, thereby to produce an adhering force between said label and the garment that exceeds the label-attracting magnetic force between the said applicator and said label, and thereafter removing said heating surface of said applicator away from the upper surface of said label, whereby said label remains adhered to the garment.
 5. A label for attachment to a garment comprising a first fabric layer having garment-identifying indicia thereon, a second thermoplastic layer secured to the undersurface of said fabric layer, and magnetic means carried by one of said fabric and thermoplastic layers to permit said label to be releasably grasped and held by a hand-held label applicator including means to heat said thermoplastic layer and a magnet for magnetically attracting said magnetic means.
 6. The label of claim 5, in which said magnetic means comprises a longitudinal metal strip sandwiched between said first and second layers.
 7. The label of claim 5, in which said magnetic means comprises metallic threads arranged in said first layer.
 8. The label of claim 5, in which said magnetic means comprises magnetic material intermixed with the thermoplastic material of said second layer. 